ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rush · rash · land · mug · track · plane · bark · toast

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. track — a path
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. mug — to rob
  5. land — a country
  6. rash — hasty
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. mug — a face
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. plane — a tool
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. mug — a cup
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. land — ground
  15. land — to come down
  16. toast — bread
  17. rash — a series
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. rush — hurry
  21. track — a song
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. track — to keep track
  24. rush — a thrill

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com